or appointed someone to screen him, or installed a chamberlain to do so, this would not suggest abasement or incapacity, but rather power. Thus they call the person who screens them from people a hājib (chamberlain), and say that he screens the emir. The eyebrow is likewise called a hājib because it screens the eye.

As for al-Ashʿarī himself, he stated something consistent with those who affirm the divine attributes: that Allah, Glorified and Exalted, is veiled by the Throne and the heavens. In his discussion of the Throne, he said:

“Among the supplications of all Muslims, when they turn to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, concerning an affliction that has befallen them, is their saying: ‘O You who dwell upon the Throne!’ And among their oaths is: ‘No, by Him who has veiled Himself by the Throne and seven heavens!’”

Third: His statement, “By veiling we understand that